Non-supportive users, as utilized in this study, are unwilling participants (Tait and Vessey, 1988), perceive no need for the system (Hirschheim and Newman, 1988), have few feelings of responsibility (Davis, 1982), and resist change (Jiang et al., 2000). According to Petty and Cacioppo’s (1996) “attitude-behavior” theory, attitudes are individuals’ general affective, cognitive, and intentional responses toward objects or other people. Furthermore, the stronger the attitude, the stronger is its link to behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Thus, when the users’ overall attitude toward a new system is unfavorable, it is likely that they will not cooperate during a development effort, leading to an increased chance of project failure.

Non-supportive users have a negative attitude toward the system – they are not ready to accept the changes the system will entail, not enthusiastic about the system, and not willing to respond to the development team’s requests. According to attitude-behavior theory, non-supportive users are not likely to facilitate the development or implementation of the system, to provide quick feedback to the system requirements, or to evaluate the system features that are critical to a successful system implementation (Beath and Orlikowski, 1994). User non-support is associated with resistance to change, users’ feelings of responsibility, and an understanding of the need for the system (Anderson and Narashinian, 1979; Charette, 1989; Tait and Vessey, 1988). User risk is one component of project risks that indirectly impact performance of the process and product (Wallace et al., 2004).